


The Second Advent

by Darksilversilhouette



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Blood and Gore, Gen, I Tried, If you're a fan of Cloud and the party this story's not good for you, Loveless quoting, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sorry if I missed ant other characters, Violence, from many years ago, many major character deaths, tagging as best as I could
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 15:09:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13684191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksilversilhouette/pseuds/Darksilversilhouette
Summary: It should have been this way from the very beginning but it didn't. But now as he awakens, he's about to change the course of everything. And together they will build a shining future for themselves. Advent Children as it should have been.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I know there are lots of mistakes on this work. It's not beta'd. I wrote it way back, and it was my first attempt at writing anything more than 5000 words. I tried polishing it a little before posting it here, which was on a whim that happened at 4 in the morning, so...  
> Constructive criticism is really appreciated, as I really strive to write better. And without further ado, I hope you enjoy.

Two years had passed since he last saw Banora. Sun shone brightly in the cloudless welkin, bathing the villagers in warm rays that penetrated through Banora White trees' branches. The villagers' houses were built on the lush green hills, the windmills' blades revolving slowly in the gentle breeze that brought a myriad of scents; of the pies Angeal's mother baked, of the fresh grass, of the dumbapples. The dumbapple orchards had grown thicker than what he remembered. The trees bowed under the heavy load they carried. He looked around, joy made his azure eyes shine brighter than usual. Finally he spotted what he was looking for. After a few graceful strides, he reached out and took the purple apple that caught his eyes. His hands subconsciously examined the apple for imperfections as he enjoyed the apple's fragrance. He willed his wing to extend from his back and flew, leaving the cascading ebony feathers as his only witness…

He descended on the lush hill exactly where he shared apples with Zack. He smirked bitterly as he realized how foolish his act was, but he understood too late. Thus was the reason he imprisoned himself in the underground cavern. He sat under a tree and took out his favorite play. On the velvety cover it was embossed: Loveless.

 _"Infinite in mystery…"_ He recalled…

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_"…Is the gift of the Goddess, we seek it thus and take to the sky."_

_He saw Sephiroth turn around, a pleased smile playing on his lips as he walked towards them. Cumulus clouds were painted a vivid hue of sunrise colors. "Ripples form on the water surface, the wandering soul knows no rest."_

_"Loveless, Act I." Sephiroth said._

_‘He remembered it.’ He thought but it seemed he had voiced his thought aloud as he heard Sephiroth's deep voice ring in the air._

_"How can I not when you've beaten it into my head."_

_Sephiroth swung his sword in a silent challenge, his smile never fading._

_‘This is all I need to become the hero.’ Genesis thought with pure anticipation. He went headfirst for the challenge, Angeal's advice adding more to the flame which was burning inside him, setting it ablaze, making him more determined to at least win this spar. The heat of the spar was intense, the three of them knew that they completed each other; Angeal hit Masamune with force several times and was thrown aback, Genesis used the opening and swung at Sephiroth but he deflected them all. It was a game, they all knew, but Genesis knew better, he was going to show he was worthy enough to step out of Sephiroth's everlasting shadow and be the day's shining star._

_"The world needs a new hero." He said as he drew his hand over the length of Rapier, making all the encrypted symbols shine with raw power. He watched unbelievingly as Sephiroth smiled arrogantly._

_"Come and try."_

_‘How dare he mock me?!’ Genesis thought, infuriated. Sephiroth should have known by now that playing like this wouldn't benefit either of them; it would only enrage Genesis and he definitely had done that on purpose._

_"So smug… but for how long?" He said, but he didn't let the blazing inferno inside him creep to his face. Genesis lashed at Sephiroth with renewed strength that matched his adversary's. Their swords clashed several times and Genesis could sense that Sephiroth had grown weary of this from the tiniest hint of scowl that ghosted on his face. It seemed that Genesis had signed his own defeat._

_Genesis could see Sephiroth coming after him as he was thrown to the sky. Their blades collided in midair, once, twice, Genesis was losing the count; he was getting tired of swordplay._

_‘Let's play my way.’ He yelled inwardly as he threw the scorching fireballs at Sephiroth which a few of them he dodged and the last one he parried. Genesis willed them to return._

_‘Surprise!’ He thought devilishly as Sephiroth was engulfed in the burning sphere of fire. Genesis had one last shot till victory when Angeal interfered. Wasting his last shot on Angeal, he watched his childhood friend fall._

_Suddenly he was taken aback by the powerful wave of energy that was nearing him which he barely averted at the last moment. He parried the other two but they cut the cannon beneath them as Sephiroth came out of the blazing heat and landed on a descending chunk a few moments after him._

_Genesis watched intently as Sephiroth went down, a dangerous smile playing on his pale lips. Something inside Genesis warned him but he paid it no heed. That was until a jet of sparks and tiny pieces of metal shot up in front of him._

_Sephiroth's face was cold and it was enough for Genesis to understand the outcome of this brutal duel. He saw he had already lost. Sephiroth's strikes were deadly and he was slowly feeling an uneasy sensation settle throughout his body. Suddenly he felt dreadful for the first time in his life; it seemed Sephiroth was ready to kill him here and now, he desired bloodshed and only Genesis' blood._

_He was thrown several feet aback, and he stumbled to stand on his feet. He was fast enough to notice Sephiroth coming at him at an alarming speed as he held Masamune behind, ready to strike hard. He prepared his beloved Rapier and blocked Sephiroth's sword with all he could muster, saving himself from inevitable death. Raw energy surged around them, causing the surface of the cannon to curve inwards._

_Finally he gave up, let Sephiroth push him back, giving his body a chance to gather his energy again for another powerful clash. He marveled at the thought of feeling that raw power which radiated from their last powerful collision again, but was disappointed when Angeal interfered again. He heard Sephiroth say his friends name as he, too, was irritated at Angeal's sudden intervention but Genesis could no longer contain his anger at his childhood friend._

_"Out of my way!"_

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Cloud Strife folded his phone after receiving another one of Tifa's messages. She told him Rufus wanted a delivery. He sighed and was going to start his motorcycle when those painful flashbacks came again. He groaned yet started the engine and headed to the Healin Lodge.

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Kadaj kicked Buster sword, watching with intense joy as he saw the city of Edge.

"Hey Kadaj, is that Cloud's city?" As if having heard his thoughts, his brother asked.

He subconsciously confirmed, his mind full of different amusing ways to make those insolent traitors tell him about Mother's whereabouts, of different ways to torture them.

"Do you think he'll welcome us?" Yazoo asked playfully as he suppressed a laugh.

"Not a chance."

"Don't cry, Yazoo." Loz answered, teasing.

"Mother's with him, right?" Yazoo teased back, knowing that he touched the elder's soft spot.

"Who knows." Kadaj answered indifferently as Loz was beginning to cry.

"Don't cry, Loz." Yazoo said, trying to stop Loz from making a scene.

A moving black dot attracted his attention _. ‘So willing to go headfirst into the trap. Humph, as expected from an idiot.’_ He smirked devilishly at his own thought. He inclined his head in a silent order and his beloved brothers went after the easy prey.

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Genesis Rhapsodos watched as the two silver-haired young men beat the blond while the third one was so busy on the phone that when the strange ghosts pounced in union on the blond, he didn't pay a heed. He seemed to be the leader of the trio even if the other two seemed older and more skillful, _‘Skillful but not enough.’_ he thought smugly. After they had enough of beating him, the youngest called them back and they headed for an unknown destination. He walked to the blonde's side or better to say the beaten rag doll as he had curled himself into a ball in a vain attempt to suppress his tears and pain, yet the way his frame was shaking with sobs betrayed him.

"No such luck, kid, no such luck…" He whispered as he remembered his own bad luck…

_Minreva closed her eyes and the air around him changed. He was pulled into the nothingness below as the streaks of planet's life form engulfed him. He was rejected by his goddess. The deity he had served for so long, had rejected him. He felt like he was hopeless now, like a walking dead. Maybe he was worthless that his goddess rejected him. But as the time passed his sadness transformed into something deeper with more meaning: Hatred. He now hated the very being he so cherished. Because that being hurt his pride after it was hurt by his defeat at the hands of the puppy. ‘So be it.’ He had thought bitterly as he, after all what happened, understood Sephiroth was right, was always right. He wanted to follow Sephiroth's lead now, like him he wanted to be no one's pawn, neither the goddess' nor Jenova's. He was going to make up for everything he did to Sephiroth; the way he betrayed him and his feelings, the way he was determined to hurt his pride and the cruel way he told Sephiroth about his origins. He wanted to fix everything and also thank him for the guidance. He knew Sephiroth would forgive him; if not forgive, he would at least understand what he's been through, he would at least understand how much pain- mentally or physically- the deterioration had caused him…_

It was the reason he had refused his brethren and had waited in his crystalline prison on his own volition until now. It was the stirring he had felt in his own Jenova cells and the Mako that had surrounded him. Sephiroth was doing something inside the Lifestream yet he hadn't known until he had seen the boys, how they were like Sephiroth, especially the youngest. At that time he had decided to repair his relationship with Sephiroth yet he hadn't known how he to do so, up until now that it was as clear as the cloudless welkin above which he soared towards.

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When the trio arrived at Edge, Yazoo went after a truck to bring children, especially those two whom Cloud looked after. Kadaj saw as Loz went towards the Forgotten Capital, he was supposed to have quite a talk with Vincent. He went after Rufus; He called him back there in the outskirts of Midgar and found out that he now lived at Healin Lodge, a place for those who suffered from Geostigma.

Midway Loz called and told that he was going to assist Yazoo in searching for Mother. That would cause a delay in their plans but now it was about Mother, the sooner they found a trace of her, the sooner the Reunion would be, and the sooner they would be whole.

When he arrived at the place, he overheard Reno and Rude talking. He stepped in and knocked the two stunned Turks out rather easily. Rufus seemed a bit alarmed without his guardians yet it wasn't apparent under his whitish cloak. He was feeding him with lies again and he hated lies.

"I apologize, I'll tell you the truth this time, it seemed we dropped it from the helicopter while trying to run from you." Then he added, "It's quite a ridiculous excuse, I'd say."

_‘He's so alarmed that he doesn't know what to say anymore. Now I'll make him realize feeding me lies isn't an option.’_

Rufus was there when they kidnapped Tseng and Elena yet he didn't know about the little game they played.

"Really? Then swear on these." He tossed their blood-stained ID cards at his feet. He could sense the aura of terror around Rufus.

"I swear."

The answer caught him off-guard. "What's your objective?" Rufus asked yet Kadaj wasn't going to answer that question.

"I need Mother's power. It's absolutely necessary for Reunion." Kadaj knew the word would raise questions in Rufus' mind.

"Reunion?"

"After all the lies you told us do you think you deserve the answer of that question? After all the things you've done to _us_ , to _mother_ , to _him_ , do you think you're worthy enough to be privy to such things?" Kadaj added, "You know that _someone_ hid Mother yet we don't even know where Mother is. It's a shame but it can't be helped. We're just remnants and until we find Mother, we can't be complete." Kadaj barely could control himself.

"What are you talking about? Who's this _he_?" Kadaj could hear the lie in Rufus’s words, and he could see the corner of his lips twisting into a shadow of a smirk.

"President, you've already realized, haven't you?" Kadaj approached the man on the wheelchair, intending to make him understand not to play with them, to make his suffering complete and confirm the worst of his nightmares. He kneeled with his head bowed.

Rufus could feel as the air around them shifted, Kadaj's dark aura transformed into something deeper, darker, and more enigmatic, his body went taut as the aura engulfed him, an indescribable terror coursed throughout his body, making his mind freeze. Kadaj wasn't Kadaj anymore, he was a part of someone with more depth, someone greater than him, someone Kadaj felt in his whole existence, Kadaj was Sephiroth.

Rufus pressed his lips into a tight line as he saw the latter smirk, enjoying every moment of his suffering. He wasn't going to let him take his pleasure by seeing him in this state. He suddenly remembered when Shin-Ra headquarters collapsed; he was trying very hard not to let anything show on his face, the pain became unbearable as the black Lifestream engulfed him. The world went black.

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Yazoo sped in city's streets, carefully looking for the kids who suffered from Geostigma, talking to them and promising them what they desired the most, a cure. Then he went straight to Seventh Heaven, he stopped at the bar. Suddenly the door opened and a brunet kid peeked at him, he smirked at the boy who looked like Cloud in some way and sped away.

Soon he rented a truck and stopped near Seventh Heaven, searched for the right kid to gather the ones he talked to before and the ones he missed and he spotted a somber girl curled up beside a wall. He bent in front of her and smirked at the ragged moogle doll in her hand.

"Hello little one. What's your name?"

She sobbed in his answer. He caressed her hair and placed his hand on her tiny shoulder. She winced and recoiled from the touch.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you. You have Geostigma, right?"

The girl backed away from him, "WHAT? Do you want to tell me to stay indoors and not infect your world and run off? LEAVE ME ALONE!"

She screamed as tears ran down her cheeks and tried to run away but Yazoo gently gripped her tiny wrist and wiped her cheeks.

"Don't worry, little sister, we can help you and all your friends. We'll cure your Geostigma, I promise. Then you can play like the others your age and be happy."

She looked at him with tearful eyes. "Trust me, I understand you, so go and tell your friends. Then come here."

After a few seconds she nodded, wiping her eyes with her hands, a new glow shining dimly in her eyes. Yazoo stood up, smiling that he had accomplished what he had been assigned to do, and went back near the truck, calling Loz.

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Loz was heading towards the Forgotten Capital until Yazoo called him. His brother told him to come back and look for Mother in Midgar ruins. But he was supposed to talk to Vincent, Kadaj had told him so. He complained but Yazoo told him to inform Kadaj about the change, and that their brother wouldn't mind that.

He braked, hard. His mind was searching where to look for her first. Shin-Ra building wasn't an option, the Shin-Ra guys must have searched that place; the slums' people houses weren't an option either because most of them were crushed under the weight of the fallen plate during Meteor fall. _‘I'll see if I find some special place, some different place. Why would I search whole slums? I would need an excavation team for doing so!’_ He thought, irritated at the difficult task. He took out his phone and dialed Kadaj's number.

 _"What is it?"_ Kadaj asked impatiently on the other end.

"Yazoo called and told me to suspend the plan we had in store for Vincent for some other time and instead investigate Midgar for Mother." he growled as he added "he also said you won't mind the change, but I was supposed to…"

Kadaj cut him short _"Don't worry, Yazoo knows what he's telling you to do. So just do it and don't bother me any more than this."_

He heard Kadaj hang up. He had expected his brother to have been furious at the sudden change, but he seemed calmer this time, his tone so calm that it didn't match his fiery behavior he always showed. Loz shrugged, as everything was rather confusing. He turned around and sped up back to Midgar.

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Cloud came back empty handed and annoyed from Healin to Zack's death place to be alone with his thoughts, when he found Buster sword lying on the ground. He took it and placed it upright in its original place.

He remembered Zack when he had a severe Mako poisoning and Zack was trying very hard to save them both from the Shin-Ra's claws. His friend died to save him and he promised to be his living legacy.

Suddenly his knees buckled as his weight pushed him to the ground; his eyes were unfocused as he was lost in the myriad of flashbacks. He saw Sephiroth as the flames let him pass, then he saw one of those silver haired men, Zack yelled at him to run, then again Sephiroth back in the hellish flames of Nibleheim as he smiled nonchalantly at him, telling him he’s but a puppet. His voice echoed painfully through his head as he struggled to stand back on his feet, but to no avail.

He leaned to Buster sword and tried to stand, gripping the hilt. He finally stood, still unstable, everywhere his eyes looked upon was aflame as he saw Sephiroth go towards the reactor, he felt the immense heat scorching his skin, he was sweating, he tried to run but was pinned to the ground, he tried to yell, scream, beg for Sephiroth to stop haunting him but his voice failed him. He collapsed, unconscious.

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Genesis had a hard time choosing which of the trio he should follow. He wanted to know more about these young mysterious boys but they were as enigmatic as their sibling or so he thought. He saw the muscular one cry at the mention of his Mother, but the other two weren't as emotional as this one.

Emotions always led people astray, those who placed logic as their lead survived. Emotions were a weakness; a weakness he had and he was happy about it. It made him different from everyone; the way he expressed himself and his feelings was unique, even his behavior. The passionate way he loved his prized poem and the way he had enacted it made him a unique individual, just like his friend.

The emotional one was bound to make a mistake, he just had to follow him, before he could disappear from his sight. He pursued the latter in the sky, at a safe distance. Both from the risk of being noticed by the boy and some stupid kid who would tug at his parent’s hand if he saw him and say: "Mommy, there's a big _bird_ in the sky." And that was enough for the whole Gaia to notice whether their _Nightmare_ was back or his fellow commander, whom no one remembered, much to his dismay. Though it wouldn't take that long before all their biggest fear came true;

_‘That would make a big surprise!’_

He smirked devilishly at his own thoughts. They were heading towards the Forgotten Capital. He didn't know what the boy had to do in that place but it was a disadvantage for him because he had to land and play hide and seek between the trees. Also he couldn't be as fast as the motorcycle the boy was insanely speeding up every second.

He was about to land when he saw the boy stop abruptly. He landed near him passing by a few bizarre crystal trees in order to get nearer to see what was going on. He heard the boy talking angrily while he mentioned some names. Among them was Vincent; the name rang a bell. So he came here to do something with this Vincent he was talking about. Then he was going to help him.

The one the boy was talking about was a Turk back then before Sephiroth's birth but due to some experiments, done to satiate Hojo's never ending curiosity about human beings, he ended up containing a group of monsters within himself. He could understand how he had felt, also his reason for shunning out the world and imprisoning himself in a coffin at the hideous mansion in that godforsaken village. But more interesting was the fact that he was rumored to be Sephiroth's biological father. Maybe that was why the boy was here, seeking him or the power stored within him. Perhaps they wanted to bring him back to the place he belonged; Sephiroth and his look-alikes, and use that power to their advantage.

Maybe he could reason with the man and talk some sense into him. They were just like each other; guilt-ridden, driven by madness, affected by people's silly ideas, but not anymore; he was going to prevent the man from repeating his mistake. He might be younger but sometimes world has ways to make those who are younger bear more hardships, making them more experienced.

Genesis began wandering through the crystal trees, searching for Sephiroth's rumored _father_ meanwhile wondering why he would be here when he heard some moans; remaining in his safe hideout behind a whitish faintly glowing trunk, he tilted his head slightly to see what was happening, his auburn locks standing out in contrast with the snow white tree.

A raven haired man along with a blonde lay on the ground, their dark suits looking a shade darker from the blood stains and soil. He was about to approach them, their unconsciousness a benefit for him to perform his little devilish plan, when he noticed a crimson cape squatting on the ground, his jet black hair cascading over his back, trying to carry them somewhere. Genesis froze, remembering who he was spying on:

Vincent Valentine.

 


	2. Chapter Two

Vincent Valentine found Tseng and Elena while he had been looking for the source of anxiety that had been hanging in the forest's atmosphere for some days. People mostly didn't come here; only Cloud sometimes came and shared his burden with him, but that was all. The only one living here was him and the emptiness of the forest was soothing, slowly freezing his past, his present while clawing with its icy talons at his future.

He had felt the unusual uneasiness, had heard the crackling decrescendo of trees until he had found _them_. They were a group of three young men so much like Sephiroth. They were no normal human beings, their strong dark aura had been streaking throughout the forest; an aura so strong that it had affected everything, and it was the cause of the forest's agony. The trees' soul withered when the aura licked at them, their combined fading voices echoing in the forest to warn other trees but there were no exceptions. Their darkness reminded him of someone but he couldn't understand it; whenever he tried to decipher its layers, it mystified him, everything suddenly becoming vague as Chaos threatened to emerge.

Suddenly a wave of unknown guilt washed over him but he dismissed the unexpected turn his train of thought had gotten and crouched near the unconscious Turks, inspecting their wounds.

 _‘They must have tortured them, but what for?’_  He mused as he took Elena's body off the ground in his arms while he wrapped his cloak around Tseng and leaped off the ground, jumping from one tree to another. He heard the swish in the air behind him, also another set of branches cracking under the weight of something. He suspected it was one of the trio behind him, following him to retain their prisoners but he was someone else. Someone from the past which no one liked to remember, but it was impossible for him to be here. They had searched everywhere but there was no trace, not a single clue to point out where he was hiding. They thought he was dead from Cloud's obscured memories but this was totally the opposite.

Genesis Rhapsodos was in hot pursuit, making his presence known for the first time. Genesis jumped on a branch a second before Vincent, causing him to lose his balance and fall. Vincent hit the ground hard and Elena and Tseng rolled out of his hold yet he managed to jump back and stand on his feet while his body reflexes brought his hand to Cerberus, and he took it out, aiming at the descending redhead.

Genesis held Loveless open in his hands, his ebony wing mingling with the darkness of the night, making his descend as smooth as a feather.

"My friend, the fates are cruel, there are no dreams no honor remains, the arrow has left the bow of the goddess, my soul corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment to find the end of the journey…"

His melodious voice filled the silence of the forest as Vincent was gazing at him, his gun dangerously aiming for his head; he smirked as he held Vincent's gaze with his own and slowly began circling him.

"Why are you here? How did you get back?" Vincent asked as anger was filling him, gripping his dear Cerberus till his knuckles went white.

"How interesting; why would a man like you, surrounded by so many friends that hold you _dear_ , stay in such place, _alone_?" Genesis was watching him intently, possibly to see how he would react to the words he said, yet he kept his face as stoic as ever.

"It's none of your business; Where were you all these years? Why come back now?" His finger inched to pull the trigger. He suspected it had something to do with the trio showing up. It was strange to see so many familiar old faces back. It wasn’t too far-fetched if suddenly he saw Hojo these days.

Genesis smirked; a menacing look flashed in his eyes, but it passed to quickly for Vincent to recognize, "Then tell me why you betrayed Lucrecia?"

At the mention of the latter, Vincent gasped, inaudibly, his eyes growing wide as his hold on his gun loosened momentarily, "How do you know her?" he asked warily as his thoughts drifted to Mako cave where his beloved Lucrecia was resting in a temporary peace. A thousand questions filled his head. He wanted to know how much of his past this boy knew about.

"Why, with such a strong love toward her and her baby, did you leave them? _Why _betray them both__?" Genesis said, his smirk never leaving his lips.

Vincent didn’t bother to hide the confusion that bloomed in his ruby eyes as the uncertainty he had long tried to solve, to no avail, settled back in Vincent's heart; he was beginning to doubt everything, every single thing he had done in the name of the planet, in the name of peace for the people…

But no, he had been right, he couldn’t doubt everything. Sephiroth wanted the destruction of the planet and the elimination of its innocent people, he was insane, but… who was to blame? Maybe it was because he trapped himself in his coffin, regretting and blaming himself for 30 years but never once trying to come out and take some action? Maybe it was because he was too frightened, too much of a coward to face himself and Hojo? Too disgusted by the monster he had become, so he did nothing and let Hojo create yet another one out of his beloved's son?

Suddenly he remembered Genesis, frantically looking up until he spotted the redhead in front of him, relief feeling him that he hadn't escaped or used that moment to his advantage for attacking him. But that was until he saw the smile on the redhead's lips, and noticed his gun wasn't aimed at Genesis anymore, his hand was resting by his side.

"I know how you felt and feel now because like you, I'm considered… a _monster_ by people and by the planet, we're both rejected, unwanted and junks for humans to _experiment_ on and then to throw out in the trashcans or be left for death in the _coffins_. We both had a chance to save another, but we never did. Together, we can try to undo the mistakes we did in the past, or at least try to build a shining future where there won't be any _monsters_." Genesis stretched out his hand, a Banora White resting on his palm in a silent deal.

Vincent was reluctant; an unceasing battle was roaming throughout his mind and soul, and the redhead's offer added more to it. His hand, unconsciously spread out to take the apple when he caught himself, pulling it back. He eyed the redhead, trying to find any trace of deceit or some hidden conspiracy, but he found none.

"What do expect me to do?"

"Nothing, but whatever happened do not try to interfere or our deal would be no more."

Genesis was still holding out the apple in his hand, but it seemed like he was going to pull it back any second, until Vincent took the apple. He was taking the first bite when redhead flew…

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The church was bathed in brilliant light and the flowers glowed, the childish hum the little girl was singing filled the space, making it warmer, more welcoming. Tifa Lockheart was standing there as though guarding the little brunette who was playing with the flowers, caressing them gently.

Suddenly the doors flung open, the old rusted hinges threatening to break. Marlene jumped to her feet and ran for the unseen person, suspecting Cloud to be the one. She ran mirthfully but was confused when Tifa held her by her shoulders, both of them retreating as the intruder came nearer. He wasn't familiar, also he had odd features that reminded her of her worst nightmare. Dread filled her as she realized who he was like, and she desperately tried to overcome it for the sake of Marlene at least. The stranger had some strange instrument attached to his left forearm; he came forth and as he stretched out his other hand, beckoning.

"Shall we play?"

Tifa quizzically stared at him as her grip on Marlene tightened.

He dropped his hand as his cheerfulness slipped from his face, and advanced, his voice tinged with disappointment. "I see, you don't want to, huh?" and added, "Where's Mother?" It seemed that he suddenly noticed the flowers, and he pinched his nose, "Hey, where's Mother?"

Tifa didn't know what to answer him, she didn't understand who he was talking about. "No one's here!"

He opened his arms and said "Then, let's play!"

Tifa pushed Marlene to the side where she was safe, and took her gloves out of her back pocket, holding his curious gaze with her own. She took a stance, her hands clenched into fists.

"Well, this is exciting." The stranger smirked, his voice joyous.

Tifa attacked first, yet he got her fist, but she punched his chin, and he was forced backwards. She used the opening, and punched him several times, kicking his face twice, yet what she missed totally amazed her. When the strange instrument touched her face, a great amount of electricity coursed throughout her body, hurling her backwards.

She struggled to hold her balance as her feet found solid ground beneath them, suddenly becoming dizzy. She tried to concentrate and make her body obey her mind. She saw him laugh evilly as he was satisfied with the results. Angered, she aimed for his legs and kicked, but he jumped forward. His back was facing her and when he turned around, she punched his face with enough force that sent him flying to the wall. Tifa jumped from one column to another as he hurriedly backed, kicking him in the jaw and sending him flying backwards.

He again stood on the ground to receive two powerful kicks to his lower jaw. Tifa came back again but she was blocked with that instrument attacked to his arm. The stranger smirked, again shocking her as she was trying to free her hands, and was thrown back into the wall.

He tried to strike her again, but she dodged and it got stuck in the wall. She kicked his chest, making him fly across the passage between benches, and was about to jump out of his reach when he suddenly gripped her ankle and swung her above his head once, twice, thrice and as she was counting the merry-go-round she was sent flying to the altar. Tifa stood there for a moment, watching through the rain of flower petals as the stranger smiled evilly with wicked delight. Using the momentum, she darted towards him, dragging him on the floor and sent him crashing to the last row of benches.

Relief filled her as Marlene called out her name, coming out of her hiding place, cheerfully running towards her. She opened her arms in an embrace that never came. All her senses were alarming her as the ringing tone echoed through the church, something wasn't right. Wood scraps burst from the place the stranger fell, and Tifa's eyes went wide.

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Loz didn't like the way his fight with the girl had went, and he was going to take revenge on her. His phone rang, filling the tranquil silence. He mustered all his energy and hurled the wood scraps in one powerful burst enough to scare the two.

He flipped it open and answered Yazoo, disappointed. "Looks like this isn't the place." and again when Yazoo went on, teasing him, he shouted back angrily. "I'm not crying!" Yazoo mentioned some girl with brown hair and a young lass that the others had said were Cloud's friends and asked to bring the little kid with himself. He looked at the girl who matched Yazoo's description and suddenly felt joy building up inside his heart. It seemed that he wouldn’t return empty handed after all. "Fine, I'll take her." He hung up.

But before taking the kid he had one other thing that needed to be done; getting rid of the girl, who seemed to be called Tifa, and then taking the kid with himself.

He came forth as he readied his dual hound. "Let's continue."

He made a quick plan to finish this stupid game. He kicked a bench towards the girl with enough force. He knew she would handle that well but she wasn't ready for what was coming. He darted forward, with an inhuman speed that even after he was behind the girl, she didn't knew he was there, still looking straight at his last spot. She hadn’t even gotten the chance to be surprised at his sudden disappearance. Loz smirked and hit her, and she only noticed when a click sounded, and she fell. But Loz pushed her into a column, again shocking her with enough electricity that brought the whole stone column down, and then he threw her away, like a trash into the foul smelling flowerbed.

She moaned, and he slowly came to her side, sitting on the ground and lifting her off the ground by her collar, with his readied dual hound at her temple. Suddenly something hit his head from behind and he reacted, quickly releasing all the energy that was stored in his dual hound in a split second. The girl's body went still in his hand as he turned around to look at the sobbing little kid, then looked back at the unconscious girl.

A pleased smirk formed on his lips as he let her collapse back on the ground and stood. A predatory evil smile was playing on his lips as he approached the girl that was tightening her hold on a dirty band, helplessly calling for her hero but no one came, no one ever would.

Then he looked back at the Materia chest next to her, two birds with just one stone.

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Cloud went to the bar but silence greeted him. He called out for Denzel, Marlene and Tifa but no one answered her.

Coming out of the Seventh Heaven, he began asking other people. They said that children went playing somewhere but they saw Tifa as she was heading for the slums. Alarm rang through his mind. _‘Tifa shouldn't know about the Geostigma!’_ He ran for his bike and went straight to Aerith' church.

He found the doors completely open, and he came in, his steps echoing in the empty church. He glanced at the dirty sheets that served as his bed, and the Materia chest which was missing… ‘ _It's supposed to be there!’_ His eyes darted around the church when he noticed a black hump surrounded by the flowers. He rushed forward, and froze as he recognized her.

"Tifa!"

No response, again.

"Tifa!"

He was really getting worried.

"TIFA!"

He ran to her side, paying no heed to the flowers that were crushed under his feet, and took her in his arms, he shook her gently, once, twice, but there was no response. He was about to stand up and carry her with himself to some hospital, anywhere, when a screech sounded, defeaning him, followed by an extreme agony that set his nerves on fire. His hand began trembling. He looked at it as dark, clotted water oozed from it on the flowers, withering them. He didn't know what to do and his mind went blank as the pain intensified, his vision blurring as flashbacks clawed at his mind, mixing the past and present until it was no longer possible to make out either of them. He lost his balance and hit the ground, Tifa falling out of his arms.

_Nothing but painful flashbacks were surrounding him in his unconscious state; he was yanked into one, forced to experience the same agonizing events and hurled out with tears running down his face. Everything was Nibleheim in flames. He saw himself calling his mother's name as their house burnt and crumbled to the ground, and he sat in front of it, bereaved of all powers as his strength was shed into tears, and he wished he could die. He even looked for something that he could finish himself with but found none. He sat helplessly, waiting for the one who once he considered his idol to come and kill him but he never came, and he was knocked out by hyperthermia._

He opened his eyes, flinching as the pain in his arm still lingered. He sat on the bed as he noticed the familiar room, it was Marlene and Denzel's. He glanced at Tifa who was still unconscious, blaming himself for his own lack of understanding.

"You were heavy, dude."

The familiar voice rang from behind. Taken off-guard, he turned around to see Rude and Reno. Cloud still had problems with comprehending how they got here and where the kids were.

"You were living with kids, right?"

"The place is empty." Rude said, after Reno asked the blond.

His heart sank. _‘How am I supposed to answer Barret? Where's Denzel? What's happening here?’_ His head hung as he was struggling to fight tears back, realizing how helpless he was. _‘First Tifa, now the kids… What am I going to do?’_

"Are you okay with this?" Rude asked.

"I…" He was ready to voice his helplessness, but he remembered how Tifa always scolded him about it. The silence became unbearable. He heard the redhead sigh heavily as he impatiently exited the room. "How irritating."

He stood by the window till night, helplessly counting the people passing by and waiting for both Tifa to wake up, and for Rude and Reno to come back. It had seemed that they went to ask around, or do whatever their jobs were to find the children. Tifa was still unconscious, making him more nervous by every passing minute. He was going to try thinking but he just couldn't, his mind staying blank.

 _‘I have Geostigma. Something unknown worldwide, with no cure, no information about it. The only good thing about it is that finally I'll be granted my wish. But before that… No, I can save no one. I was trying to save Aerith when that happened, or even Zack. I'm the cause of all this. I can't do anything right.’_ He remembered how Tifa used to encourage him by smacking his helplessness at his face. He heard the door creak and turned around.

"You couldn't find them?" Cloud asked as he remembered the neighbors telling him that the children had went to play.

"There was someone who saw those guys take the children with them." Reno said.

"To where?"

"The Forgotten Capital, Agito."

He stared blankly at Tifa, waiting for her to wake up, say something but she didn’t.

"I'm going to see Rufus."

Suddenly, Reno chuckled darkly. "Thanks to you, he was kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped?!"

His eyes went wide as he remembered Rufus' last words about needing a bodyguard.

"Who did it? What do they want? What are they going to do with him?" he asked.

"Kadaj …” Reno was interrupted as Rude punched him lightly in the arm, he groaned. "Okay, okay! Look Dude, go to Agito. Go there." Then both of them exited the room.

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Genesis was coming towards the city when he noticed a truck filled with children just heading to the place he was before, the forgotten Capital. He also noticed a motorcycle just behind it. ‘ _Ah, the emotional one!’_ he changed his mind and turned back, following them in the air as the night's veil hid his presence.

By the time they reached the place where Vincent had found the Turks, the leader of the trio was there. Genesis descended and hid between the trees. The younger that was called Kadaj seemed infuriated, and was about to yell at the emotional one until he saw the huge chest in his hands and curiously snatched it away, traces of the forgotten fury still visible on his young face. He opened it, all the fury forgotten, as a grin formed on his lips.

He took one Materia in his hand, carefully examining it. "Soo, Cloud was hiding these. The power that was created from the Lifestream. With these Materias, we'll gain new powers." Then he placed the Materia in his forearm, cheerfully jumping on his bike and asked his brothers to follow him and sped up.

Genesis was getting quite tired by this hide and seek, but he decided to wait and see how Vincent was going to keep his side of the deal.

The trio took the children with them to a strange celestial marble monument. The structure was totally otherworldly, enigmatic, attracting everything towards itself as though encouraging them to interpret the secrets encrypted within it. Around it was a lake, reflecting the monument on its surface as it challenged the silver full moon in a silent rivalry. The younger stood across from the children in front of the entrance of the structure with his oldest brother by his side. There was also a brunette girl clinging to the emotional one’s leg, remaining quiet probably out of fear.

His other brother jumped back by his other side after letting the kids out, all of them ready for the Kadaj to start his speech.

The cool night breeze was moving through the forest and the full moon shone overhead, setting the whole forest alight. The white monument behind Kadaj had an otherworldly glow. This night was special; as though the whole world knew what was going to happen, that this night everything became clear, especially the outcome of the upcoming battle.

"I have been granted Mother's special power."

Kadaj's voice rang through the forest, shaking by so much joy as he was talking about his Mother and his plans to the children, his arms wide apart above his head as though he was about to receive a heavenly bestowal.

"Making humans suffer…It is the power I received to fight against the planet." His gaze hardened at the children, as he continued. "The truth is, you all have received this power, too."

He paused, and Genesis mused how much the younger's acts were similar to his.

"Yes…We are all brothers and sisters, we are chosen brothers and sisters who have inherited Mother's genetic remnants which are infused within the Lifestream." His back was facing the kids as they, puzzled, looked at him, all the while listening to his words carefully. "However…" He turned around, those catlike green pupils iced over in cold anger, "The planet is getting in everyone's way, it's trying to stop our growth!" His hand darted forward, pointing at all the kids in front of him and his voice was rising in both pitch and volume as his anger poured into his words, "That's why you're body aches and you feel like your heart is getting crushed!" All the children looked surprised, as though someone had finally understood the living hell they were going through.

Kadaj smiled, "I will heal it for you," his physical form began wavering as raw energy was emitting from his body, "Then let's go to Mother's place!" He lifted his hand to the air as he gazed upward hatefully as he was releasing his anger in the most bizarre way, "Let us combine powers as a family and take revenge on the _Planet_!" A burst of energy shot in the sky as he shouted, his voice echoing through the forest and children watched, unblinking , fear and worry mingling with little rays of hope in their childish eyes.

"Follow me."

Kadaj said as his features softened yet again, none of those volatile emotions lingered on his face. He stepped in the shallow lake, crystalline water turned ebony, changing by what Genesis could only guess as Sephiroth’s influence.

The younger cupped his hands and brought the water to his lips, drinking, he let his hands fall in the water, watching as the children followed his example. A smirk was touching the corner of his lips when the girl called “Denzel!” silently begging one of the children not to drink the water.

Genesis watched from the far as the younger's plan succeeded but he wanted to know how he would react to the menace that was coming their way, _"This is becoming interesting."_ The sound of the motorcycle engine was nearing.

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Cloud was riding between the snow white crystal trees, their color in a wild contrast with the dark earth and cloudless sky. The silvery full moon bathed the forest in its light, making the trees shine dimly. The sheen of the trees gradually overwhelmed him, and he looked in disbelief that he was riding through a whitish void, his motorcycle suddenly disappearing into nothingness, making him stumble, but he managed to keep his balance. White and yellow flowers spread under his feet as he felt something shift in the air, night's air cool changing its place with a welcoming warmth.

"You came," his eyes went wide as Aerith' voice filled the silence, "even if you're about to fall apart, right?" he felt her light hand on his diseased arm and recoiled slightly from the pain.

"It's probably a good thing…. Question!" She said childishly, "Why did you come?"

He was reluctant about what to answer, "I think I want to be forgiven." Swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat, he nodded, more to himself "Yes, I want to be forgiven."

The question that he didn't see coming was this, "By whom?"

He looked over his shoulder but everything faded back to normal. Disappointed, he focused back on riding when two shots just reflected from his motorcycle. He saw the trio whom Rufus called their leader, Kadaj. They continued shooting and he drew two of his swords to use them as a shield. The middle one came forth as he unsheathed his double-bladed sword and waved his hand, beckoning for, goddess knows what, to come, and suddenly he saw the children of the neighborhood block his way, and in the front were Marlene and Denzel.

The boy seemed completely oblivious to what was coming his way, while Marlene braced for the impact, and Cloud let go of his bike. He crashed to the ground, his swords flying out of his hands as he was rolling and rolling until he reached a stop. His bike screeched as it horizontally skidded on the ground.

Cloud miserably tried to lift himself off the ground but Kadaj couldn't help but make it more miserable for him, sarcastically he spat at him, concentrating to cause him more pain, "You showed up after all!"

Cloud winced as his hand began to ache again, an ear splitting screak filled the air, he groaned."I came to pick up the children!"

Kadaj introduced him to the kids that were gathered around him, "This man here is our big brother, But…" Kadaj was circling him like a vulture would circle its prey, his sword ready for strike, "Unfortunately…" he held his sword at his neck, "He's a traitor."

Kadaj turned around to sever his head in a powerful strike when Cloud hear Marlene call him. Cloud reached for his sword as fast as he could, and swung at him, yet Kadaj seemed to have guessed his move and jumped back. Bullets rained on Cloud from his brothers as they continued his uncompleted battle. Loz darted forward while Yazoo distracted Cloud by shooting at him, kicking him several times, finally managing to hit him with his dual hound, sending him backwards.

Loz smiled mirthfully as Cloud moaned before leaping in the air, aiming his sword at him but Loz kicked him and sent him flying to the ground. Yazoo came at him as Cloud was still getting up and kicked him in the chin, firing bullets at him which he deflected them. Cloud tried slashing at Yazoo with his sword which he jumped on before delivering a kick to his back. Meanwhile, Loz gathered all his energy and struck the ground, sending a huge wave of both energy and stones towards Yazoo and Cloud. Yazoo smirked and jumped backwards while firing at him.

Cloud averted the bullets and used his limit break to deflect the wave. An explosion sounded throughout the forest and a fountain of dirt rained on them as two opposing energies impacted. Through the dirt, Loz charged at Cloud, shocking him, soon followed by Yazoo as he took his brother's gun, shooting at him.

Moving the battle onto tree branches, Cloud's sword was kicked out of his hand and while Yazoo fired at it, sending it crashing through one of trees and out of his reach. Cloud ran on the branches toward his sword, and just as he arrived, Loz hit the tree with his dual hound and with a huge crash the tree descended to the ground.

With his sword stuck in the trunk and with another one averting Yazoo's bullets he didn't know what to do. Out of nowhere Loz came and thanks to him, his sword broke free. The three of them exchanged blows midair, and finally a kick by Yazoo sent him toward a tree. Standing on the trunk, fastening his swords together, and he rushed toward Kadaj who was awaiting him with a dark smile. But midway his hand the aching in is hand started, paralyzing him for a moment as he winced in agony. Using that moment, Kadaj parried his blow easily and instead he was the one flying backward. Cloud vaguely saw himself defend the many blows subconsciously, and suddenly Kadaj was upon him with his sword raised above his head, and then everything went black.


	3. Chapter Three

Genesis witnessed it all in amused silence as the trio did a perfect job. When they were finished, they picked up the children with themselves and the president who was in the strange monument, and headed for Edge. He walked towards the blond, a look of disdain clearly visible in azure eyes as he took a handful of the boy's hair and stared blankly at the childish face and grimaced.

 He knew that Vincent was here, he knew he was watching closely, he knew that there was an immense battle going on in his head between helping his blond friend and siding with his beloved's son.

Gripping that handful of hair, he dragged the blond towards the shallow lake. He heard the boy moan in pain as he was gaining his consciousness. By the lake he let go of the boy's hair and instead brought him off the ground by his collar, punching his chest with enough force that sent him flying in the air. With a powerful kick that possibly broke a few ribs, Cloud was thrown towards the calm water surface. Genesis' wing jutted out of his back, as if in triumph, and he leaped for the sky. The dark ebony feather rippling water surface.

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Vincent didn't really know he was doing the right thing or not. Genesis was right; they both were monsters, especially himself. He was the one who left Lucrecia and Sephiroth; He was the cause that Sephiroth now stood against the planet. If he just waited for the boy to grow up a little and then flee with his beloved and Sephiroth, all of them could live a happy life instead of living a bizarre nightmare.

And again he was here, standing by and witnessing the fight. How much of a coward was he? Did it really take just a short confrontation with an ex-SOLDIER, to turn all his efforts for sewing his old wounds to dust?

He was going to think it thoroughly, and watching the sadistic redhead toy with the blond didn't help him either. He turned on his heel and vanished between the trees in a whirl of crimson and black.

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Yazoo and Loz gathered all the kids in Edge's main square, the memorial of Meteor impact, which was built to remind the people of how close they were to death.

All the people also were gathered to take back their kids, and some others simply watching as if sensing that they was nothing that they could do. The parents were protesting about their act, not letting them concentrate and see whether Mother was here or not. They wanted to bring the monument down, and search if there was anything inside or underneath it. It wasn’t the first time that Shin-Ra built something for the show on the ground, while horrible things were being conducted below.

With his patience ran out, Yazoo brought his hand up, and the people's noises went silent. There was a stirring beneath their feet and the next moment Shadow creepers appeared out of nowhere and began unsettling the group. People ran in frenzy, some running for their lives and some picking their kids up and then running away. Using the tumult to their benefit, Yazoo began pulling the chain along with his brother when two other bothersome people interrupted their search.

"What are you doing?" the redhead asked.

"Mother is here, isn't she?" Yazoo said with hidden malice.

"Why?"

This time Loz answered, eagerness sipping through his words. "This, well…Monument. Shin-Ra made this."

The redhead's face lit up as the smile on his face widened. "Whoa now. You used your brain." He tapped his oddly styled hair with his index finger as his friend continued.

"However, you're wrong."

"We don't know where it is, dude."

And he burst into laughter. Loz frowned and Yazoo answered in his place, his voice becoming threateningly low. "What's this? I don't believe you guys at all."

The redhead's laughter died as he understood what he meant and his bald friend became nervous, toying with his cravat as his redhead friend looked back and forth between he and them, his mouth agape. With a battle cry he charged forward and his friend followed the example.

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Cloud eyes opened wide, running out of air, and tried to get out of the water. He stood as he hungrily breathed mouthfuls of air, coughing water all the while. He clutched at his chest when it started aching with every breath he took, his coughs becoming tinged with crimson. He miserably got out of the lake and towards his motorcycle when he heard a soft sobbing between the bushes. He neared it and with his hand moved the branches apart and saw Marlene. Upon seeing him, Marlene jumped to her feet and embraced him, crying freely. He crouched and hugged her, wincing from the pain in his chest but carried her towards his motorcycle. With one hand he held Marlene and with the other he straightened his motorcycle. Then he noticed the kid had fallen asleep in his embrace. Cradling Marlene to his aching chest, he sped for Edge.

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Genesis watched the violent frenzy with wicked excitement as the people ran away for their lives, meanwhile listening carefully as Kadaj moved the president's wheelchair on the floor above. The cool wind gently played with his auburn locks and from time to time he had to put them back in place, yet it was soothing. The president broke the silence that hung in the air.

"Hey, Kadaj. Tell me one thing."

The boy began walking again, his footsteps echoing through the metal surface. "Just one thing."

_‘Permission granted’_ , Genesis smiled sarcastically.

"You said you wanted to get your hands on Jenova's cells so that you could become complete. What does that mean?"

There was a pause.

"He is…" Kadaj hesitated a bit, "coming back!"

Genesis swore under his breath as he hoped that the boy wouldn't ruin anything, or Kadaj will be damned.

"Sephiroth. A nightmare." The president was a smart man indeed.

"Seems so." Kadaj said indifferently.

"Seems so?"

And again the boy went on explaining. "I don't know Sephiroth. Yeah, I only feel him." Suddenly Kadaj's tone changed, emotions making his sound waver as if he was about to cry, "It pisses me off. Who did Mother choose, me or Sephiroth?"

"Pitiful Remnant." Rufus said and Genesis grimaced as his own memories flashed through his head upon hearing those spiteful words. Rufus did a very bad mistake by saying those things.

"Regardless, the fate of humanity will be the _same_! Mother spent a long time travelling to this planet, to remove you _fools_ from this universe. But…You understand, right?" Kadaj spat angrily. Rufus was silent so he went on. "This place hasn't changed since Mother arrived. That's why I'm going to make Mother happy. I'll do anything Mother commands me to do."

Genesis could imagine that Rufus was smirking. "Humph, that nightmare all over again, huh?"

"As long as you people are around, the same thing will occur over and over."

"Let it happen as many times as it wants to, we will follow the path of destiny, and for that reason we will always try to stop you guys." He sounded too confident, and Genesis was thinking of a way to make sure that it wouldn't be long to see that arrogant façade break and reveal the turmoil behind.

"President…is that your excuse for having Mother all to yourself? The truth is you're feeling remorse, aren't you?"

“Remorse? I'm having so much fun it's hard to contain."

A blue hue shone from the floor above as Genesis felt the air stir, hearing footsteps.

"That's good." He heard Kadaj's voice, filled with malice, "Then how about I go ahead and end this?"

A strong current of air flowed through the floors, streaks of Lifestream flowing through the ceiling and Genesis guessed what the boy was exactly about to do.

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Circles of bright blue exploded towards the sky, the cryptic spell fading as thunderbolts struck the ground from the gloomy clouds, and a small column of dark cloud slowly descended toward the ground.

Upon seeing this, the mayhem ceased. Everyone was looking at the sky, dumbfounded. Now fully generated, Bahamut SIN opened his enormous wings and flew towards the people. It chased after a few people, meanwhile injuring a few of the ones weren’t lucky enough to run away in time.

People scattered in every direction, away from the huge abomination, leaving everything behind, just taking their lives with themselves.

Suddenly between the mayhem, Cloud spotted Denzel who stood there, like all the children. He ran towards him, shaking his shoulders, calling his name, so that maybe the kid would come out of his trance, but it was in vain. He took him in his arms, and turned around when suddenly the Bahamut landed heavily just in front of him. He was about to defend both himself and Denzel when he noticed how huge his opponent was, and for Denzel’s sake, tried to get away from it just like everyone else.

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Reno ran toward Yazoo and Loz, but only a moment later the Bahamut landed just across from them on the other side of the monument. He stopped, stunned. "This one is…" Reno said, his mouth agape, his stunned friend, Rude completed for him: "Impossible!" And both of them ran, taking two kids with them away, as Bahamut jumped on the flat surface of the monument. Yazoo and Loz followed behind, the Summon doing their job for them.

Bahamut gathered a sphere of raw energy as it flew above the monument, ready to release the time bomb. The second it was released the whole monument crashed, its pieces sizzling with fire. The Summon roared as it had done its hellish destruction. Everyone at close range was lying on the ground, all unconscious.

Denzel woke from his unconscious state sooner, and found that Cloud had covered him with his own body as a shield, thick dark blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. "Cloud?" Denzel called him, and when he received no answer, he panicked. Angered, he stood and yelled: "Damn you!" he ran towards the Bahamut, thinking about revenge. The Summon turned towards him and roared. When it was approaching, about to kill the boy who was still running toward it, a hand stopped Denzel, and fired a blast his handgun, distracting the monster for some time.

"Stay here and protect your family." It was no one, but Barret Wallace.

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After regaining her consciousness, Tifa found out from what Marlene told her that there was havoc out there, and Denzel and Cloud were there, too. Persuading Marlene to stay at home, she hurriedly ran outside, her eyes searching everywhere for Cloud or Denzel.

Upon finding every brunet kid, she ran to his side to see whether he was Denzel or not. When she finally reached the central square, she saw Barret as he was running towards Bahamut SIN, and soon she found Denzel who was also running towards the beast. She ran toward them as fast as she could and called "Barret!"

Barret looked over his shoulder as he recognized her and said, "Marlene is safe, right?" and ran toward the enraged monster when Red XIII and Cait Sith came out of nowhere and accompanied him.

Denzel ran back towards Tifa."Cloud is hurt. He's over there." The boy gestured toward where Cloud was lying on the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

"Cloud!" Tifa called as she ran to his side, checking for major injuries. Tifa tried to control her worry as she really was afraid of the outcome of the battle which their friends were participating in, _‘Can they win without Cloud?’_

"Denzel, come help me take Cloud to the bar, okay?" Denzel nodded in agreement. Though the boy couldn't do much help but at least he was safe there with Marlene. They dragged Cloud to Seventh heaven and when they came in, Marlene saw them and ran toward them.

"Cloud! Is he hurt?" Worry was completely visible on her childish face.

"No, he'll be okay, Marlene, let's go to our room." Denzel said as he took Marlene's hand and together they ran upstairs.

Alone, Tifa dragged Cloud to her room and laid him on the bed. The room was completely bland except the hazel curtains and the wooden bed with a few paintings. Tifa sat next to Cloud, "Why do always want to fight everything alone? You have Geostigma, don't you? Do you think it's just okay to die like this? You don't want to be alone, right? That's why you never answer your phone but you never let go of it, right?" Silence greeted her words. Disappointed, she stood up and left to help her friends.

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Reno and Rude finally woke up. They were about to stand up when they heard Yazoo chuckle darkly. "This is fun, guys."

"Not at all, dude!" Reno said as he quickly stood and kicked, Rude following his example but the silver haired brothers just dodged.

Reno kicked again, fling his metal baton at Yazoo, but he dodged and instead kicked Reno in the chin which sent him flying to the ground. Reno stood fast and leaped at Yazoo.

"You guys are persistent, dude!"

Yazoo dodged as he leaped off the ground and landed softly on a building. "Like we've been saying…If you guys give Mother back, everything will be over."

Reno climbed up the building where Yazoo was standing, aiming for the silver haired guy, his baton missing him barely as he jumped back away. Reno continued to punch and kick, and Yazoo dodged all his attempts.

"Are you serious about this Reunion or whatever this is all about?" and again he ran toward Yazoo, trying to hit him with his weapon of choice.

"We just want to see _Mother!"_ Yazoo said, kicking Reno and sending him flying in the air.

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Rude was punching Loz as Reno was fighting Yazoo, glancing over his shoulder from time to time to check on his friend. He ran after Loz who was backing away, and grabbed the guy by his fists, resisting the silver haired guy who was trying to push him to the ground.

"What are you guys planning to do with Jenova's head?" He hit the guy's head with his own; using the momentary distraction and kicked the guy twice.

Rude was about to throw him backwards on the ground but Loz kept his balance and bent at the most unbelievable angle, rendering him astonished. And the next minute, Loz threw Rude off over his head, slamming him in a solid wall. Rude was just standing up when Loz landed right in front of him.

"Mother is going to make decisions from now on." Finally standing on his feet, he heard Loz talk again. "So, where's Mother?"

The next second, a billboard crashed down, and hit him on the head, and along with it Reno fell on him, both hitting the ground.

Yazoo landed by his brother's side, watching the two clumsy Turks with amusement. Reno stood up, brushing dust from his clothes.

"Mother, Mother, you say." Rude finally stood up as Reno was still talking. "It's just Jenova's head."

"Hey!" Loz said, clearly offended.

"Don't talk about Mother like that!" Yazoo said, his eyes narrowing dangerously, followed by "I won't forgive you!" from Loz, his voice filled with irritation.

"My bad." Rude said.

"Yeah." Reno finally finished brushing his clothes. Suddenly, he noticed what he had just said, angered, he ran toward them. "The hell?! Why are we apologizing?!"

Leaping off the ground just as Yazoo did, Reno kicked Yazoo and finally he hit.

Loz, distracted by his brother getting hit, received two punches himself and hit the ground along with his him.

Reno landed on the ground, right next to Rude, when suddenly Loz came out of nowhere, and hit him with dual hound in the face. The pair was sent flying backward and they hit the ground. Yazoo and Loz landed just next to them, when they were about to get on their feet, back to back, each one facing one of the brothers.

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When Tifa arrived to where their friends were fighting, she saw all of them were united again. The battle still ensued, but on the construction site across from the square. She ran toward them.

When she arrived, Vincent was firing at the Bahamut with Cerberus, Yuffie was striking at it with her shuriken, and Red XIII with Caith Sith on his back was clawing at it.

Tifa saw as the Summon generated a sphere of energy again, aiming at Yuffie when she stood on a metal block in front of it. Red XIII and Caith Sith were dangling from its mouth. Cid jumped out of nowhere and pierced its head with his spear, averting the blow from stunned Yuffie to somewhere else.

The sphere blasted powerfully to a set of joined metal blocks, causing them to explode and fall. Her eyes widened as she saw Barret fighting under the descending debris, "BARRET!" Tifa called but it was too late.

With nowhere to run, and not being fast enough, Barret was buried under the sizzling heavy metal blocks as his yell still rang in her ears. She ran toward him but there was nothing she could do.

Yuffie, who had watched this like her, landed by her side, her voice breaking. "What should we do? The bad guys have the Materia, we can't help him right? How'd you tell Marlene about this?" She sobbed.

"It's no time for mourning; we at least must avenge his death." Tifa said finally, rubbing her wet cheeks with the back of her palm. She jumped to aid her friends, but Yuffie was still sobbing, "Poor little girl…"

The entire group asked her about Cloud, and she told the truth. Together they wasted some time, distracting the Bahamut in vain hope that Cloud would wake up in time and join them. They jumped at the Summon in union, each of them doing all they could, and finally the Bahamut collapsed, breaking the metal wires and blocks in its descent, crashing at the foot of the construction.

The group landed one after another, smiling at the small victory which didn't last long. Letting out a roar of rage, raw energy emitting from its mouth in fumes, the Summon began to fly upwards. They all tensed, fists clenched, as they saw it fly like it was barely even scratched.

Each of them tried to stop its ascent or slow it down, but to no avail. The Bahamut flew fast, and in seconds he was yards above the semi-constructed building. With the energy sphere completely generated, it stopped and flew downward. The group knew what was going to happen. They all tried to get as far as they could from the vicious summon. It released the huge sphere mid-way, and it exploded, engulfing everything in close range.

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Genesis watched with an amused smile dancing on his lips as the Bahamut was destroying their little town piece by piece. The most beautiful part was the huge firework. The massive explosion could be heard from miles away; the raging inferno and smoke rouse to sky in no time, challenging it.

Suddenly he heard Kadaj's amused voice from upper floor as he began walking again. "This is fun, President! What should I summon next?"

There was another pair of foots on the above floor, standing abruptly. A white cloth flew with wind away, _‘Isn't that Rufus' cloak? That bastard!’_ Genesis' eyes went wide as he understood what that meant _, ‘So the bastard was hiding everything all along. He'll pay dearly for that!’_ Genesis thought darkly.

"Mother!" Kadaj exclaimed.

"You should've noticed it. And you call yourself a son?" Rufus said mockingly, and the next moment a black sealed box was thrown down.

Genesis noticed it the second it was flying through the air, but it seemed Kadaj hadn't or was too stunned to do something. Kadaj let out a high pitched, long cry and with that the whole building shook from the explosion in the upper floor.

Rufus seemed to have dodged unscathed, and now was falling freely when Genesis saw him take his gun out. Quickly, Genesis materialized his beloved Rapier, and stabbed it in Rufus’ abdomen. He was quite enjoying the look of pain that twisted Shin-Ra’s brat’s face, and the astonishment.

"Mother!" Kadaj finally reacted and jumped out of the building, following the box in midair. Genesis flicked his sword, and beheaded the president of the Shin-Ra company in a swift swing.

Out of nowhere two nets stopped his headless body’s fall. It didn’t matter, soon it would return to Lifestream.

Genesis jumped in time out of the burning crumbling building and flew away instantly. However the ones below must have seen him because all their eyes were glued to Kadaj and Rufus. He couldn't do anything now, they would suspect it to be either himself or Sephiroth but if Vincent survived, everything would be known. He just had to be prepared.

Genesis landed in a nearby empty alley. He walked toward the site of explosion to see whether Cloud's friends had been lucky enough to survive or not. The emergency had arrived almost in time and was taking the injured to hospital. He saw Vincent Valentine among them; he was unconscious but seemed to be almost unscathed.

After all, He was a monster. _‘You broke our deal so expect nothing in return, my friend.’_ Genesis looked back to where Kadaj was landing on the ground, his Mother finally in his arms. _‘Soon, very soon…’_ He darted towards the sky with inhuman speed, hiding his presence between the clouds and flew towards Kadaj and his brothers.

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Kadaj jumped after his Mother as soon as Rufus aimed his gun at him. When he was falling, in the corner of his eye, he saw something vibrant red come out of nowhere. He expected Rufus to shoot at him or at Mother but neither happened. He was surprised but focused all his senses to reach Mother in time before all their hard efforts were wasted, and he finally managed to get it. He felt raw power surge through his body the moment he cradled the box, and was relieved. He landed on the ground between his brothers and the two insufferable Turks who upon his landing readied to attack but were rooted to place by shock.

Kadaj cared none about them. He inspected the box for any damage and found none. Alarm rang through his body and subconsciously he ran for his bike and started the engine. His brothers followed him as they might have felt the same feeling, and together they headed for their destination, Aerith' church. All of them were excited. It was the first time in their lives that they've been able to see Mother. The thought of Reunion and becoming complete was the only thing they were thinking about and Sephiroth… Their biggest brother and their commander was awaiting.

They reached the place in no time. They entered the church with their bikes, crushing the flowers without paying a heed. Loz was happy with that. Turning off the engines, Yazoo and Loz gathered around their younger brother to see their Mother.

"Mother!" Loz cried as he snatched the box away from his brother, sobbing freely as he felt his mother in his arms.

"There's someone else here. He's been following us from Edge. I can sense him." Kadaj, still sensing the strange feeling, whispered. He unsheathed his double bladed sword.

"When you were falling, Kadaj, Rufus was impaled and then beheaded with a vibrant red sword from the floor below. When the building was about to collapse, exactly from that floor a one winged man flew to the sky. Could it be… _Sephiroth_?" Yazoo said, taking out his Velvet Nightmare.

When the trio were wondering who this stranger could be, one lonely black feather descended smoothly in front of Kadaj's wide eyes, and landed on his palm. A rain of ebony feathers was slowly descending around them when Genesis Rhapsodos finally announced his dramatic appearance. "Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess, We seek it thus and take to the sky, Ripples form on the water surface, the wandering soul knows no rest."

With their weapons ready, the trio charged at the redhead, one fired at him, the other was attacking him with his sword, and the other on was intending to experiment on the stranger with his dual hound.

"Three versus one, I find it hardly fair, especially from my _comrade's_ brothers!"

Upon noticing what the redhead meant, Kadaj stood between his brothers and the redhead, his voice low, threatening. "And who are you supposed to be?"

A wave of nostalgia hit Genesis as he heard the way Kadaj spoke, his voice softening. "My name is Genesis Rhapsodos; a very close friend of Sephiroth's."

Their holds on their weapons loosened at hearing that familiar name.

"I'm here to help you bring him back. But! If you continue with your foolish acts, we'll each go our separate ways." Genesis turned around, his back facing them as he smirked smugly and was slowly leaving for the door.

"Brother…" Loz whispered, "Finally, we get the chance to be together again!" his voice was wavering with joy.

Genesis smirked again upon hearing the eldest's emotional outburst, starting to count down, _‘One, Two, Thr-…’_

"Wait!" Yazoo called, and Genesis turned around slowly, smiling.

"Yes?"

"Since our goals are the same, we'll be working together." Kadaj was about to interrupt Yazoo when he raised his hand, and silencing Kadaj’s rebuke. "It's for our benefit, all of us. We can face them easier, Kadaj."

Yazoo came forward, unbelievingly confident for the first time since Genesis saw the boys, and suddenly he saw Sephiroth coming toward him. Genesis blinked several times, trying hard to look as normal as possible, but inside he was stunned, not knowing whether it was a flashback, or the same thing he had witnessed back at the Forgotten Capital.

Yazoo held his hand forward, "Deal?"

"Deal." Letting go of Yazoo's hand, Genesis continued. "As you might know, Cloud's group is completely split up, it's a very good time to strike now but we want to…"

"We want to kill Cloud in front of everybody to see, also his friends. That's why we left him in the Forgotten Capital." Kadaj interrupted, trying to regain a semblance of control over his brothers. Genesis closed his eyes, sighing.

"And tell me something first. Since when have you been _spying on us_?" Kadaj said, frowning.

Genesis ignored the question. "One of their friends was in a terrible state. I'll go and check on him but before that, I must inform you about my plan." Seeing the youngest frustrated face made him smile.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Violence, and gore; lots and lots of gore. Viewer discretion is advised.

Marlene and Denzel knelt hand in hand by Cloud's side, their other hands gently playing with the blond, poking him, disheveling his hair.

"Cloud?" Denzel said, his childish voice tinged with pain.

Marlene stopped playing with Cloud's hair and gently tugged at his sleeveless dark shirt, intending to wake him up. "Cloud. Cloud. Cloud! Wake up! Denzel, help me wake him up!"

And the kids together began calling him in unison when telephone rang. Both of them jolted upright, looking quizzically toward the direction.

"You continue to wake him up, I'll answer." Denzel ran to Cloud's room.

Marlene was half listening to Denzel, and was about to begin again when Cloud's lashes quivered and he opened his eyes. "Cloud!" Marlene jumped on him and Cloud winced and groaned.

Denzel, after hearing Marlene call Cloud's name with joy, ran toward Tifa's room, phone in his hand. "Cloud, it's from the hospital, they want you."

Marlene, noticing Cloud's pained expression, stood and went to Denzel's side, her childish face beaming. Cloud sat up in the bed, anxiously bringing the phone to his ear. "This is Cloud Strife, what is it you want?"

Marlene and Denzel watched as blood drained from Cloud's face, his eyes widening, the phone slowly slipping out of his hand, falling to the ground. "What was it, Cloud?" Denzel asked.

Cloud was thinking about all the possible reasons they might have called him for, since all they told him was: "Is Tifa Lockheart a friend of yours?"

He was bereaved of all power, even when Denzel asked him, he didn't know what to answer. _‘What has happened to her? Is she injured? Why should she be there?’_

Finally finding his voice, he said, "Marlene, Denzel, we must go to the hospital." He stood up, clutching at his chest, his face contorted with agony, and Marlene began tugging at his pants. He looked down.

"Cloud, has something happened to Tifa?"

Cloud shook his head negatively. He crouched by the girl and took her in his arms, lifting her off the ground and carrying her to their shared room. Arriving there she let the girl down and waited downstairs for them to change. He began pacing up and down the bar, impatient. Several moments later, Marlene, Denzel and Cloud exited the bar. Cloud picked each of the children up and seated them on his bike. After locking the door of the bar, he sat on his motorcycle and sped off to the hospital.

They entered the building. Sterile white walls made the interior glow dimly with the bright sunrays that penetrated through white curtains. They went toward the receptionist.

"I'm Cloud Strife." He said nervously, "Is Tifa Lockheart…"

The receptionist interrupted him with a smile, and circled the counter she was standing behind and crouched near the kids, "Hello, there. Would you like to go to the front yard as your dad finds who he's looking for?" Marlene and Denzel started giggling and then both nodded.

The nurse stood up and took kids' hands. When she was turning around, she mouthed to Cloud, "Room 311, floor 3." Cloud nodded his appreciation and ran for the elevator.

He ran in the wide corridor, nearly slipping on the surface as his eyes darted from one room to another. Finally, he found the room 311. He reluctantly pushed the door open, his mind full of different thought about why Tifa was here. He glanced around the room and found Tifa and Yuffie. He prepared himself for the worst. Tifa was lying on a bed, facing the window. He came toward her. Upon hearing his heavy footsteps she turned her face toward him. Her face was red, scarred here and there by already healing burns. And her eyes were red, filled with tears. He ran to her side.

"Tifa! What's happened?"

She burst into tears as she shook her head.

Cloud was becoming really worried. "Tifa! What's happened? Tell me!"

Yuffie started crying, too, her back facing the both of them. Between the sobs, Tifa managed to say. "Barret is…" fresh tears ran down her cheeks, "dead." She turned around and cried.

Cloud backed away, "No…No…It's not true!" He turned on his heel and ran toward the first doctor he saw in the corridor. "I want to see Barret Wallace!"

The doctor indicated for him to follow. A few rooms down the corridor and they arrived at a door.

"All your friends were unconscious and had varying degrees of burning. Tifa Lockheart, Yuffie Kisaragi and Cid Highwind are under treatment and already healing. But Vincent Valentine was being treated when he suddenly disappeared, and…" The doctor paused, "He's in there."

Cloud stepped inside. There was a lonely bed, a body lying on it was covered by a white sheet dotted here and there with crimson marks. He neared it slowly, putting enormous effort in lifting his foot off the ground and taking the next step, as if his feet were of lead. Finally reaching the bed, his trembling hand took the cover and lifted it, tucking it when it reached the waist of the corpse.

He slowly opened his eyes. The sight that greeted him made him flinch and turn around in disgust. The corpse was so mutilated that it didn't seem to belong to a human anymore. It was completely disfigured. All over the body was covered in swellings and the skin was peeled off, revealing the burnt flesh. Cloud clasped his hands over his mouth, tears streaming down his cheeks. He covered the body with the blanket and ran outside. He wanted to scream but his voice stuck in his throat.

He ran all the way to the first floor and stopped abruptly when he saw Marlene and Denzel eating their cone ice creams. He ran for a lavatory and stared at his own reflection in the mirror, slapping himself across the face. He began smacking his face with chilling water again and again to stop crying. After several minutes, when he made sure it wasn't visible that he had cried, he stepped in the entrance hall, forcing a smile on his lips as he approached the kids.

Their faces brightened up as they saw him, running toward him, both of them telling what they had been doing. He didn't hear their voices as his mind was caught in what he had witnessed.  There was a tugging at his shirt that forced him out of his thoughts, "Huh?"

"Cloud, what's the matter?" Denzel said and Marlene continued, "You look sad." He took their small hands in his own and went out of the Hospital.

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Genesis dragged Vincent on the roof of Shin-Ra tower. The unconscious chained man moaned in pain once in a while as he began shackling him, a wry smile playing on his lips when he placed a gag around Vincent's mouth.

He was conscious and was trying to free himself, albeit as much as the Hell Firaga materia he had cast on him allowed him to. His voice was muffled by the gag that was tied firmly around his head. He took out Vincent's cell phone.

It was obvious that the cell phone was almost as good as new, except for the very few calls from Cloud, or the Seventh Heaven. He dialed Cloud's phone number and waited.

"Hello?" He heard his voice ringing with question, as always.

"Hello, _sweetheart_!" He suppressed a chuckle as he imagined Cloud's puzzled face, "Who are you?" the boy's voice was sounding like he was offended.

So he didn't understand the sarcastic, venomous tone which Genesis pronounced the word, "Don't worry! You'll see me soon but someone's here who's dying to see you." He loosened the gag slightly and it fell around Vincent's neck. Genesis brought the cell phone close to Vincent's mouth. The man pressed his lips in a tight line, refusing to make any sound, despite Cloud’s voice who was asking if he was there.

Chuckling to himself, Genesis took Rapier off the ground and stabbed Vincent in his abdomen, rotating the blade a degree or two before yanking it free. Vincent whimpered in agony, and Genesis made sure that Cloud heard every second of it.

As Genesis took the cell phone away and began walking, Vincent tried to yell. "Cloud! Don't come here, he's toying with you!"

"Vincent's a strong man but since he's chained and shackled, I think it would be a little hard for him to run away and protect himself, especially without his precious gun." Genesis eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Don't you dare touch him! What do you want?" Cloud shouted.

"Clever boy! I want you to come to Midgar, the church in the slums, you must know it. We'll meet there." He was satisfied with his work. Hanging up, he put the cell phone back, purring a 'Thank you' over Vincent's ear with a sneer, then placed the gag over Vincent's mouth again and fastened it more firmly.

He dialed Kadaj from his memory, "Kadaj, tell Loz and Yazoo to come here. You stay there in the church, Cloud will be there. And give me the number of one of his friends." Kadaj complained but gave him Tifa's number, asking "Why should Yazoo be the one? _I want to make Mother proud!_ " He yelled in the cell phone, making Genesis cringe.

"Don't complain Kadaj. It would be the best for _him_." He heard Kadaj sigh and hang up.

He dialed the number he had memorized, waiting for an answer. His patience was running out when finally he heard a feminine voice answer "Hello?"

"Are you Tifa Lockheart?" He asked as though he didn't know her, "Yes, what is it?" Her voice was tired, "Your friend, Cloud Strife is in terrible danger! There were three guys who dragged a guy in a red cape to the Midgar ruins. I found the red guy’s phone lying in the rub-" He tried to sound frightened, when Tifa interrupted him, "Where is he?"

"He’s around the Shin-Ra tower, and his fighting… Oh shit…" He trailed off, running and jumping around on the wreckage.

"Hey, what happened?" He heard movement on the other end. "Hello?" She asked again, her voice crippled with worry.

"The calamity…" Genesis tried sounding out of breath, "The monster… he’s back… They’re fighting on top of the Shin-Ra tower…" More running around on the rubble, " _Please save us!_ "

"Run away from there, we're coming." After a long pause with a lot of movement in the background, she said, quickly hanging up.

He flipped the cell phone close. He heard the nearing roar of engines and walked toward the edge of the rooftop to take a look. They were Loz and Yazoo. He smiled, genuinely, _‘All the puzzle pieces are falling into their place.’_

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Tifa stood on her feet, the nurse was begging her to stop but she didn't listen. She told Yuffie everything she had heard from the stranger. The young girl was on her feet the second she was finished, and both of them ran for Cid and Red XIII. It was true, Vincent was nowhere to be seen.

The nurse had gone after the doctor and when all of them were about to exit, the doctor blocked their way. "You can't go fight in a state like this. You must stay here; it's for your own welfare." The group ignored the doctor and walked past him.

He grabbed Tifa's arm, hoping to make her understand but Tifa snatched her arm angrily as she said. "Our friends are out there, fighting Sephiroth for everyone. How can we leave them to do that on their own?" With that she ran after her friends.

Cid was leading the way to where he had landed Sierra. All of them ran inside the airship. Tifa could sense that all of them were scared, even herself. It was a year since they last fought Sephiroth. From then on, Cloud had started to weaken gradually, both mentally and physically.

Tifa shivered as she thought about Cloud being defeated. It wasn't the time for these thoughts. Sierra jolted, scattering Tifa's thoughts. She looked to Cid behind the wheel, flying the steel bird well. She turned around to look at the interior of the massive airship, trying to busy herself not to think about that thought again. Yuffie was jumping up and down like a school girl and Red XIII with Cait Sith were going mad. A smile crept on her lips. _‘Vincent, Cloud, we're coming, hang on.’_

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Yazoo stood peacefully on the roof of the once mighty Shin-Ra tower. Loz was listening to Genesis' orders, once in a while jabbing Vincent's side with his foot.

Yazoo's thoughts were elsewhere. He was thinking about what Genesis told them about Sephiroth. Even if it was brief but he now had a better understanding about their brother. Genesis told them about how they fooled around when they were SOLDIERs. He told them about the time when they went to the VR room, betting on who'd pierce through the apple better with his sword and that Sephiroth always won.

A smile formed on the youth's lips. He wished he was there, he wished he could see his brother but he couldn't. When Genesis looked toward him, he could see a mixture of sadness and amusement in his azure eyes. He was taking a liking toward the redhead. He dismissed the thought. He was thinking irrationally. He was their brother's friend and also now was not a time. He stood like a brother to them and he was… Yazoo sighed. He had a mission, one which they had tried for as long as he remembered, for one which they had endured many hardships together to see it come to fruition. If he failed, he was not only failing mother and their bigger brother, but he was failing Loz, Kadaj and himself; and also Genesis too. If he failed, all their suffering would be in vain.

Determined now more than ever, he turned around and walked gracefully towards his brother and Genesis, "We should hide. They're coming."

Genesis nodded and with that Loz helped him take Vincent inside the wreckage that remained of the building. Yazoo glanced at sky, picked up Mother and followed them.

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Cloud left the kids alone at home. After being sure that they wouldn't get out in the city, he headed for Aerith' church. After arriving there, he left his bike a little away from the place and took his swords from it.

Cautiously, he pushed the door open and stepped in. No one was there. His eyes searched everywhere for Vincent, trying his best to hear even the slightest noise. He walked toward the flower bed when he heard a loud crash. He saw the column falling above his head, at the last minute he rolled on the flowers, distancing himself from the crumbling heavy stone.

He hadn't even got up when he was hit. He went dizzy but tried as hard as he could to lift himself up. He was half paralyzed when he heard that malevolent laugh. He tried to locate who it was from through the heavy dust but couldn't. His healthy hand blindly reached for some place for support but found none. There was a glow through the thick cloud of dust from the roof and again that laugh when suddenly he felt water spread on the ground where he was. Then a fountain of water shot upward, spreading parallel to the floor.

From it, droplets fell and he saw that it was Kadaj who shot him. The boy sped away with his motorcycle as the droplets began pouring everywhere near the church. Cloud tried to stand up but he was unable to from fatigue that overwhelmed his body. There was a tingling sensation in his arm that was weakened by Geostigma. He looked at it and saw as the rain had healed his disease. He relaxed, letting the numbing sensation wash over him, yielding to it willingly, knowing that he soon would follow the silver haired remnant. He let himself go.

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When Kadaj arrived there he saw that his brothers had already been fighting with Cloud’s friends. His brother Loz was handling Tifa and Yuffie while Yazoo fought with Cid and Red XIII. Kadaj ran to their aid, wondering why the redheaded nuisance hadn't helped his brothers. He unsheathed his sword and leaped in the air. Catching Cid off-guard, he slashed at his back from shoulder to the waist. The man yelled a curse as he swung his spear at him.

Kadaj jumped on the spear and slit his throat. Cid went to his knees and Kadaj yanked the spear away from his hand aiming for Cloud's childhood friend but changed his mind. Throwing the spear out of Cid's reach he stabbed him through his chest, making sure the man didn't make it alive. He went toward the red fuzzy beast. Yazoo was handling him well, he could see the patch of blood soaked fur where Red had been hit by bullets but Yazoo had a few shallow slashes where the beast's claws had torn his skin.

It was enough to make Kadaj mad. He jumped in front of Yazoo, blocking his brother from Red and fought instead of him.

"You should go Yazoo; we need you alive for Reunion. Go!" He pushed his hesitating brother away and began fighting with the furious animal. He couldn't dodge a few scrapes here and there. Red, having lost much blood, was weakened, and only one wrong move was enough to lead to his death, and that one moment arrived. Red jumped above Kadaj's head, aiming to rip his neck apart, when at the last second, Kadaj crouched, swinging his sword in a circle, he stabbed it into the animal's abdomen.

Blood rained on him in wild sprays, Kadaj grimaced. He threw the injured beast away, freeing his sword. He walked toward him, smirking. "Was that the best you could do?" Cait Sith jumped in front of Red XIII and protected the injured beast. Kadaj slashed at him diagonally and the robot was halved, smoke and electricity emanating from it.

Kadaj stepped beside the heavily breathing beast and be headed it. Blood jetted out from the severed vessels painting the ground crimson. Kadaj turned around, smiling as he wiped the blood on his face with the back of his palm. He walked to where Loz was fighting Tifa and Yuffie. Two were gone, two more to go.

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Loz smiled happily when Kadaj came to their aid. Even now they were outnumbered but they could handle them. Loz didn't know how Tifa managed to come back to normal since their last fight. He pushed the thought away and concentrated on his moves. He punched, dodged, shocked them and the cycle repeated itself. He was growing weary from the monotonous task, so he decided to make it a little interesting. He hit the metal roof of the Shin-Ra tower and the impact sent a wave through the roof as though it was a liquid. Both the girls lost their balance and fell.

Loz used the opportunity and took Yuffie's shuriken and threw it away. Yuffie followed her beloved shuriken with her eyes as it flew away out of sight. Immediately he grasped her neck and lifted her from the ground. The girl started kicking and punching but being held at arm length, she could barely do much damage. He then tossed her up and punched her several times in the stomach, and then kicked her away.

Yuffie fell to the ground and was struggling to stand up when Loz appeared right behind her. He saw as Tifa, now running toward them, was about to warn her but he smirked and cracked her neck. Yuffie's body went still as Loz's hands let go of her neck, her head lolling back before she slumped on the ground, dead.

Loz looked up from his handiwork and smiled evilly at the shocked Tifa who was gazing at her fallen friends with a sorrowful expression on her face. He started walking toward her, his malicious smile growing as Tifa looked at him, utterly frightened. She turned around and begun running away, stumbling a few times but managed to get up.

Loz appeared right in front of her, making her jump backward in surprise. He saw over Tifa's shoulder, as his brother finished his work and was coming their way, smiling for finishing off one of them. He laughed lowly when Tifa turned around and saw Kadaj behind her. Little did she know of the plans they had for her.

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The streets were busy. People oblivious to what was happening to their heroes, were doing what they always did. In one of alleys, a door creaked ajar, a pair of eyes peeking out at the surrounding. The kid pushed the door weakly enough for her little frame to pass and silently came out.

A few blocks down the same course happened; this time a teenager. The same event happened here and there and then a large group of varying kids, adults and teens. Other people stared at them. They were completely oblivious to their surrounding as if entranced, guided by some supernatural force.

The group was heading to Midgar. People started asking them, trying to stop them from going there but their attempts proved to be futile. So they called WRO. Normally Shin-Ra would have done the work but with the fall of the company, WRO took the job. As though sensing that they would be forestalled, the group ran wildly toward their destination, scattering to avoid being captured all at once. If people stood in their way, they pushed them away or made them run away by force, engaging in a quarrel. They would be there in no time.

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Marlene cried freely on the floor, unable to get up as she screamed, begged for Denzel to stop beating her. Finally his beatings ended, leaving a bruised battered Marlene on the floor. Denzel went out. He looked to the beautiful, glimmering woman beside her. She smiled at him and he smiled back, letting the soft hand caress his brunet hair. "Well done, my son. Now go." She gently pushed her toward the running crowd, encouraging him to go. He hugged her with great care as if afraid to break the fragile form. Then he ran toward them, stopping midway and smiling again at the woman. He would make her mother proud.

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Genesis was watching the group from the far, still watching over Vincent who was struggling to free himself. Genesis smirked. They finished all of them except Cloud's girl in no time. Then it was when he sensed the tingling emotion throughout his body. He knew what it meant. He gazed at the black sealed box beside Vincent and then took it. After tightening Vincent's bonds and making sure he couldn't escape, he ran gracefully toward the trio who were kicking the life out of the girl. He snatched the girl by her hair, twisting it firmly around his hand.

"Did you feel it or not?" He asked the trio, demanding urgently. Three heads nodded in agreement, "Then what are you waiting for? Go!" The trio looked at Genesis, confused but then they turned around and started running when a strong hand gripped Yazoo's arm, "You'll stay here. You have a battle to win."

Yazoo looked longingly at his brothers before complying with Genesis' order. Genesis stayed there on the roof while Yazoo began walking to where he awaited Cloud, his mother in his hand.

Genesis made sure that the girl was weakened otherwise she would be kicking and punching to free herself. He dragged her limp body to where Vincent was. He had to do it quickly, everything was happening too quickly for his liking.

He opened the door which led the roof to the staircase that went down to the bowels of the gigantic tower. The wind whistled and echoed as the door opened. He saw the red silent demon gaze at him emotionlessly but when he threw Tifa on him, his eyes widened slightly which didn't escape his keen eyes.

Genesis came forth, twisting a handful of her hair around his hand and pounded her head vigorously to the wall, beside Vincent's head. He drew her head away and again pounded it to the wall. This time as he pulled her head away, the wall was tinted crimson.

Genesis lost his patience. He pounded her head so forcefully this time that he was expecting it to explode. Tifa's eyes snapped open, chocolate irises dimmed as death ghosted over them. Genesis smirked and let go of her. The body dropped with a dull thud. Genesis turned around and left, the door clanging shut behind him.

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Shadow creepers besieged the crowd that was gathered near the demolished city of Midgar. Kadaj and Loz knew what Mother wanted. Behind the crowd, Edge was living its monotonous life. Kadaj inclined his head and with that both of them attacked the not-too-small group. People went wild as Jenova's spell over them broke but they couldn't escape. His double katana slashed, slitting throats, breaking bones, severing arms.

Loz just fired at the ones who tried to escape. He let them loose. People who ran, limping or not, tried to save themselves. Kadaj and Loz chased them, killing the ones who fell behind. Before their eyes, suddenly a huge building was engulfed by blaze. They watched as Genesis landed several feet ahead of them and began slashing with his Rapier. Huge waves of fire rippled through air, setting everything aflame on its way as it expanded. Kadaj and Loz ran after him, killing everyone they saw, whether it be young or old, kid or adult, man or woman.

When they stopped in the center of the town, covered in blood from head to toe, half of the city was aflame. Only a half remained to paint in the colors of fire, to remind the entire world of the past.

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Cloud looked around, a sword in each hand held ready. There was no single soul there. He was completely healed by the rain in Aerith’s church, and he knew he had been out for long but he hoped that it wasn’t long enough for everything to be over. He wandered in what used to be buildings, heading for Shin-Ra headquarters.

He looked up. Even now the tower was the tallest of them, after all what happened to it.

Suddenly a silhouette caught his eyes. On the roof of one building, the closest to the tower, was an airship. It was huge. _‘Could it be Cid's?’_ With that thought, he ran toward the building.

When he was about to climb the building, a bullet shot echoed through the empty city. He turned around and saw Yazoo behind him. His gun aimed at him, a strange box in his hand. Cloud turned around, walked toward where Yazoo was standing meanwhile wondering where Kadaj had disappeared to. He stopped a few feet away from the remnant.

"What do you want?" He could see Yazoo's silhouette as his hand that held the gun was lowered to his side. "Remnants don't know anything, huh?" Cloud thought that he wasn't going to get an answer from the silver haired remnant when he heard his deep voice.

"I'm no mere puppet unlike …" Against the sunlit background, Cloud saw the glow in Yazoo's hand. He was ready for it, "What _you_ used to _be_!" With that a sphere of energy was thrown his way but Cloud jumped before he could be hit and brought his sword down, cleaving the empty place where Yazoo was standing a moment ago. Yazoo rapidly fired at him, which he dodged, and then attacked him the second he got the chance.

Cloud didn't expect him to block his sword with his gun but when he did, he was amazed. Yazoo released his gun of the lock, jumped a few steps back and fired back at him. He deflected them with the flat of his sword and again slashed at him. Even with only a gun, the remnant had kept up with him well. The silver haired man jumped on Cloud's sword, firing his gun when he leaped up to upper floors of wreck, making him follow marksman.

Their dance continued; bullets were fired, which he deflected, bringing his sword heavily to collide with Yazoo's gun, and then again they jumped upper until Yazoo made his mistake. Cloud had to admit, with one of his hands holding that strange black box, the silver haired man was managing rather well. The weariness took its toll on him, and with a difference of an inch, Cloud's sword severed Yazoo's gun. He watched as the remnant was sent flying over the roof from the impact. He smiled.


	5. Chapter Five

Yazoo held onto the edge. His demise was awaiting him a couple of thousand feet below. His Mother was still in his hand. He knew that no one would come to his aid, not even his brothers. He heard as Cloud landed hard just above him and he looked up. He lowered his sword just above his head.

He had to clear his mind for it was flooded with instinctive anxiety. Cloud would kill him now or a minute later. Falling down was no option, but his fingers were slowly slipping. He looked at his Mother again and threw the box up in the air, knowing that Cloud would cut it open reflexively, and it would distract him, even momentarily.

And it happened. Cloud's attention was diverted from him by the box that flew in the air the second it was sliced. With his other hand freed, he used the surface as a lever and leaped toward it. Cloud noticed him too late but tried to stop him anyway. Yazoo held the box to his chest as his hands cupped around the opening, gathering every drop of the precious emerald liquid. He let go of the box when his hands were full.

The box went flying down when he released it, his eyes followed it and then he looked at Cloud who was watching him nervously, still in shock, unable to move. Yazoo brought his hands to his mouth, savoring each drop. When he was finished, agony broke out in his body. He clasped at his chest. Every cell in his body was vibrating vigorously. He screamed as he felt like his body was being pulled inwards and outwards at the same time as if to explode any minute. The agony stopped suddenly, his body went peaceful but Yazoo couldn't feel anything, even himself. Everything felt so good. May be it was Promised Land? Numbing darkness engulfed him and he let himself go when those gentle hands greeted him in the black Lifestream.

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Cloud jumped after the remnant when his scream echoed. A shrill sound filled the whole place. At the last moments, Yazoo's curled form straightened and he landed softly on the metal, the agony all but gone from his face. His hands were raised subconsciously as if sensing that Cloud would fall on him any second, which never came.

The impact sent ripples through the metal causing it bulge, sending layers and layers of dust through the air. There was a loud slam, and Cloud was held up in the air, facing his enemy head on. His eyes darted to the tip of that flawless sword which materialized from the Lifestream. Realizing just the only one who possessed such a sword, his eyes darted to its owner when that deep, calm voice rang, "It's been a while, Cloud."

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Silver hair, alabaster heart shaped face, that unmistakable shade of green. He wasn't Yazoo anymore, he was Sephiroth. A sinister, meaningful smile touched those lips and with that Cloud was hurled away from him. The mighty ex-SOLDIER turned around, no traces of that smile on his face and unsheathed his sword. In a fraction of a moment, Masamune send Cloud flying high up. Cloud barely held his balance as his feet touched the surface and looked around, searching for his nemesis.

The ex-SOLDIER flew after him, landing softly several feet ahead of him. The wind played with silver locks as his former General spoke again, "You lost your Geostigma? How unfortunate."

Cloud went straight to his own question, "What is it that you want?"

Delight bloomed in Sephiroth's eyes as he spoke, "The Remnants who died while carrying Geostigma…flow with the Lifestream around the planet, which will eventually consume it. Cloud, what I want is…" the silver haired man glanced up at sky and smiled blissfully, "to make this Planet into a ship and travel through the darkness of the universe." Sephiroth raised his hand toward the sky and splayed his fingers, "Just as mother did once." The once sunlit clouds turned silvery gray, spiraling above his head fiercely, "We will create a new planet one day. Then, we will create a glorious future in that land."

Cloud watched Sephiroth as he spoke, his nemesis' form glowing ethereally in contrast to the dark background. He really was a god. Cloud knew that he was no match for the demigod, that he had won the last battles by some sort of luck, some strange force he didn't knew. This time wasn't any different. He had the same hollow feeling he always had.

"What happens to this planet?" Cloud feared the answer.

"Who knows. That's up to you." The moment that leather clad hand dropped to Sephiroth's side, his nemesis leaped at him, Masamune collided with his own broad sword.

Black Lifestream flowed lazily from the heavens, branching here and there, enclosing everything as it reached for the ground below. Lightning grazed the surface, the flash of light blinding everyone, followed by deafening roars. Their duel still ensued, unaffected by the vehemence of the bizarre storm.

They were fighting in midair. The force their blades clashed with each other sent sparks around them. Sephiroth hurled Cloud down, hovering above him before disappearing. Cloud was looking around, searching for him. Terror was barely contained in his eyes.

Sephiroth appeared out of nowhere, his Masamune held ready by his side. With a swift yet powerful knock, Cloud was sent crashing through a window of a skyscraper. The silver haired demon went after him. Sparks of the impact lit the dark room. Cloud ran and his adversary chased after him. Their blades met each other a few times before Cloud started running again. This time his enemy was nowhere to be found.

Cloud's eyes searched the darkness frantically, his heart pounding in his chest, threatening to break free. Sephiroth appeared right in front of him and Cloud was lucky enough to sidestep the slash that cleaved the column behind him at the last second. Metal was sizzling where the legendary sword had run it through, and Cloud sighed with relief. Sephiroth brought down his massive blade, meeting Cloud's sword violently. The pressure was lifted up and Cloud looked at the swordsman who moved Masamune slightly back and again brought it down vehemently.

Cloud was collapsing under the strain when Sephiroth's sarcastic words rang through the empty room, "Oh. What made you so strong?"

Cloud tried to overpower Sephiroth, "I don't want to tell you!" pushing him away, but to his surprise the ex-SOLDIER didn't move an inch. Instead, their sword rubbed along each other, showering their owners in sparks that lit the room around them. Turning around in their blade lock, it was Cloud who was pushed away, passing through layers and layers of metal and concrete until he reached the open air.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth, having teleported outside, sliced through a huge tube and it went crashing down, heading toward Cloud. The blonde dodged but didn't see him coming after him. His former General landed right behind and Cloud turned around, and parried each blow before jumping in the air and bringing his sword down forcefully. His sword cleaved the empty ground as Cloud searched furiously for his archenemy.

Growing tired, after a few strikes, Cloud landed on a roof, resting a bit before Sephiroth landed right behind him. Both of them swung their swords and struck at each other, only to have their swords locked yet again. The demon of Wutai pulled back, flying in the air smoothly, his eyes on his prey, "I was thinking of giving something to you…" he slashed through a metal bar which fell toward Cloud. The blonde cut through it easily and came after him. Meeting each other midair, they locked blades once or twice before Sephiroth spoke again, every word meant to tease him, "Shall I give you despair?"

With that Sephiroth pushed him away with his sword. Cloud fell toward the hellish flames below before he stuck his sword in the bricked wall and stood on it. Below him was hell, fire was everywhere and if he were to fall, his fate was the same as Barret's. Sephiroth landed high above him, his features serene as he looked down on his once puppet. The breeze played gently with his silver bangs and a smile ghosted on his pale lips before he spoke, the wind taking the deep voice to Cloud, "Kneel down and show me how you look when you're begging for mercy."

A huge crash drove his attention back to where Sephiroth was, and he saw the roof of the building come crashing down toward the two of them. The demigod turned around and slashed through the wrecks sending them flying apart. Cloud hurried, his hands and his body were trembling with fear, a feeling in his gut telling him that this time, everything was different, that this time he couldn't win against the silvered haired general.

He forced his swords to unlock and grabbed one and stuck it in the building, all the time his eyes searched above for any sign of the heartless angel. He jumped down and grabbed his swords, jerking them free as he leaped for the air. He slashed through the mass of concrete and metal when finally Sephiroth made an appearance. Masamune threw him to the flying platform below, and then its master landed lightly in front of him with the blade aimed at him.

Cloud was mostly killing time and he jumped above on one floating platform to the other, the silver haired man in hot pursuit. They exchanged one or two strikes here, and then Cloud would run away to the next floating chunk of concrete. Cloud knew he couldn't run away from Sephiroth, the man was somehow omnipresent even when he was dead.

The loud deafening clang brought him back to reality as he saw Sephiroth right in front of him, and panicked. He followed the rhythm his former superior had set, meeting his enemy's sword each time stronger and harder than the one before. Seeing the General fight in the SOLDIER with someone had always been a sight to behold. Sephiroth was always graceful and magnificent even in the battle. The way that trench coat danced around him and the way that silvery hair disheveled around him in a furious, alive halo fascinated everyone, even his opponents.

With each clang and the shower of sparks that flew around them, Cloud breathed harder, his nerves were numbed by excessive pressure and his heart was hammering in his chest. On the other hand, Sephiroth barely broke a sweat and the amused look on his face was never disappearing. The former General didn't even utter a single noise unlike Cloud who whimpered with each strike; he was always calm and quiet and those who knew him knew what to fear when he was like this in battle.

Cloud just didn't understand who he was fighting with, he could gain no upper hand here, no fleeting mistake and no opening. Having had enough, he was barely keeping up the pace, when he saw a huge metal piece coming their way. He ran away from the mighty ex-SOLDIER and onto the roof of the first building he could. What welcomed him up there didn't make him better, it made him worse.

The bloody massacre greeted him above the roof, and not everyone's blood but his friends. The mutilated heaps here and there were his friends. He doubled over in anguish. He wanted to throw up. Tears were running down his face but he couldn't help it. It didn't take long until Sephiroth appeared right above his head, Masamune aiming for severing his head. He barely dodged, rolling on the ground away from the bloodthirsty blade. The silver haired man slashed at him, and again he dodged, again and again until he had to raise his sword to defend himself. The clash was too vehement for him to bear and Sephiroth pushed him away like one would swat away a fly.

A punch was all it took to send him rolling back away. He hadn't even uncurled when Sephiroth grabbed him by his neck and lifted him off the ground a feet like he was just a feather. The silver haired demon then let him drop and slashed at him with his sword once and twice and the he was punched and kicked to a wall. Cloud knew Sephiroth was waiting for him, he knew he had no chance this time against his former General but he had to try. He knew this massacre wasn't his doing but he had to avenge them. He leaped with all the energy he could muster. The ex-SOLDIER smirked at him, and the next second Cloud was writhing in the sharp pain.

"Is this the pain that you felt before?" Sephiroth asked him, amusement shown on his face, his smirk turned into a cruel, cold smile as he added, hints of morbid pleasure ringing in his deep voice. "I will remind you that pain, so that you won't ever _forget._ " Ebony feathers engulfed both of them as Sephiroth's jet black wing emerged to all its glory from his back. Cloud was sent flying up in the air and Masamune followed his weakened prey as his master lifted off the roof.

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There was blood everywhere, soaking them from head to toe. The hungry flames followed them not far behind. Finally the city was conquered. Genesis hoped that it hadn’t taken too long. He didn't want to miss the amazing battle that was taking place back at Midgar. He knew Sephiroth would be surprised, even if his friend tended to be a little cold.

Azure eyes glinted dangerously as he looked to where Kadaj and Loz were standing, pleased smiles forming on their lips as they experienced the most macabre massacre in their whole, yet _short_ lives. Genesis smirked cruelly. In a second he was behind Loz, his beloved bloody Rapier aiming for the boy’s heart. He could see Kadaj's lips move to warn his brother, but the kid was too late. When the sound escaped those lips, Rapier was already protruding from his brother's chest. Genesis' smirk widened as the younger's face drained of all blood, looking sickly pale with shock.

"Gen…esis…what…have…you…done…?" The question rang in the air as Loz’s body dropped down his sword. The boy wasted his last breath by saying the same question his mother and father asked him all those years ago in Banora.

His smirk turned into a sneer as he looked up to Kadaj, silently urging him to come and avenge his brother. The younger yelled and leaped at him but found himself on the wrong end of the crimson sword. He screamed in pain as he was held up in the air by Rapier yet the hungry crackling flames swallowed his voice. Genesis threw him upward and thrust his sword right in his chest. The spray of blood painted his auburn locks a dark shade of crimson and he threw Kadaj near his brother. They were starting to dissolve to the black Lifestream as they died like the ones with Geostigma.

Genesis wasted no time in watching them dissolve and took to the sky. Higher so that the smokes couldn't reach him and the tongues of flames couldn't lick at him, he flew as fast as he could. His timing had to be right. _‘I have to make it. Wait for me, Sephiroth.’_

Finally they will be reunited after all. He could see the ruin that was once the star of the Shin-Ra Empire. Something suddenly caught his eye. He slowed down a little, not wanting to crash the fun Sephiroth seemed to be having. His breath caught in his lungs. Oh Goddess, it was really _him_ , with a _wing_ , just like him. He hadn’t known.

He flew lower, tentatively circling the battlefield, and landed on the roof where they had killed Cloud's friends. He tried as hard as he could, not to distract his beloved friend, blending with the shadows, running silently to where he held Vincent and Tifa. He opened the metal door quickly and Vincent looked up, completely oblivious to the battle going on outside. He knew the girl was dead but yet again crimson was his color. He slit her throat and blood painted the narrow staircase, especially the red demon. He couldn't allow something to go wrong, at least not now that they were so close to their aim. He looked up to where Sephiroth was performing his Octaslash in the air. Genesis dragged Vincent and Tifa out. His body was tense with anticipation and he carefully watched the only remaining chain of Cloud's friends.

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Cloud screamed each time Masamune tore through his flesh. He was stabbed again and again, the last two yet made him shriek in agony. The legendary sword pierced through his foot and then his knee. His nerves were on liquid fire and his body was fatigued by both blood loss, the pain and the fight. At first he decided not to give his archenemy the pleasure of hearing his cries but just after the second slash, he had given up.

His eyes saw as the katana darted toward his face and he reflexively grabbed it, yet Sephiroth's unforgiving blade grazed his cheek. He knew that his disobedience would cause him more pain and it happened. The next moment he was thrown away from his nemesis, falling down several hundred feet below as his blood followed him in the air in rivulets. He heard a loud crack as he hit the roof, hard, his breath catching in his lungs.

He tried to get up but his hand buckled under his suddenly too heavy weight. He sent a glare toward Sephiroth who was slowly descending. He was hopeless, despair was written all over his. He knew he was finished now that the silver haired General landed softly a couple of feet away and was slowly coming his way. Cloud pushed himself off the ground, mustering all the energy he had left in his broken body to at least sit up. He could hear his own heart hammering his chest and his last pained breaths as Sephiroth stood in front of him.

The former general thrust Masamune in his shoulder and he screamed yet again. But when he closed his mouth, there was another disembodied scream ringing from behind which made him search for the owner. The heavy presence of Sephiroth made him to look back at his mighty enemy, yet the cry wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Sephiroth was unaffected by the earsplitting cry; those unmistakable green eyes were fixed on his obsolete, useless puppet. His deep voice brought Cloud back to the battle field, "What is the most important thing to you? Give me the pleasure of taking it away." With that Cloud grabbed Masamune firmly, not caring if it tore through his hand when suddenly a heavy figure slumped on him.

Tifa Lockheart used to be her name, dried blood trailed down her head and fresh blood was lazily oozing from the gash in her neck. Blood escaped the blond's face as he raised his spiky head to look for his friend's murderer.

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Genesis watched as Sephiroth almost killed the blond and hurled him toward the roof. He decided it was the exact time for his appearance. He tore the fabric that covered the man's torso and saw what he was looking for; the scar. With his Rapier, he cut the scar open and plunged his hand in. Vincent cried in pain as Genesis yanked the material free from his chest. Blood soaked his clothes while it ran down his chest. Genesis stepped back as Chaos began emerging from the ex-Turk.

He had to act quickly or all their efforts would be wasted. Dropping the Protomateria on the ground, he took his Rapier with his right hand and pierced Vincent's heart, thus killing Chaos who hadn't fully emerged yet. Genesis sighed with relief, taking the materia with him, he dragged both Vincent and Tifa to where Cloud was impaled by Masamune.

He heard Sephiroth's voice and a pang of nostalgia hit him. He thought of Angeal, of SOLDIER, of their good times. They were going to take their own revenge and avenge their fallen friend. When he was near enough, he saw as Sephiroth glanced at him, and he threw Tifa on the blond. The boy was terrified when he looked up at him and then he threw Vincent's body beside him, making the boy's face deathly pale.

He then looked back at Sephiroth, silently urging to finish him off. He saw the strange glint swirling in those unforgettable emerald icy seas and smiled, genuinely. The sticky wetness that sprayed on his hand assured him that the blond was dead now.

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Cloud's head rolled on the metal roof, leaving a crimson trail behind itself. Blue eyes, glazed over by death, stared vacantly at the sky, mirroring everything. Two one winged angels lifted off the ground. One had a wing on his right side and the other on his left. Together they made an angel with two wings and they flew perfectly, leaving for somewhere no human could reach them for they were no human.

In their wake, as if having heard their complaints about what was brought upon them in their lives, the gods cursed the planet and sealed its punishment. Gray clouds began turning bright red and then began catching fire. Liquid fire began dropping on the ground instead of rain as Apocalypse rained down on the planet, destroying everything on the planet. Hungry flames, fueled by Jenova's power clawed to the planet's core through the eternal wound the calamity had inflicted.

The blazing inferno reached to Lifestream. Now weakened by the increasing number of Geostigma bearers and the black Lifestream, Lifestream couldn't protect the planet. The planet died, all the imperfections and impurities cleansed of its surface but it was only the beginning of something new; together they would build this planet from the nothingness it was. It would rise from its ashes, as they had and together they would begin their shining future.

**THE END**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it all folks. Sorry if the ending was not to your satisfaction, but I never could see it ending any other way, so...  
> Again reviews and constructive criticism is really appreciated. Hope you enjoyed it.


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